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![Lethal Weapon](https://www.criticker.com/img/films/posters/80/Lethal-Weapon.webp?1719239317)
Lethal Weapon
1987
Suspense/Thriller, Crime
1h 49m
A veteran detective is partnered with a young detective with a suicidal death wish (imdb)
Directed by:
Richard DonnerScreenwriter:
Shane BlackLethal Weapon
1987
Suspense/Thriller, Crime
1h 49m
Your probable score
Avg Percentile 56.15% from 7485 total ratings
Ratings & Reviews
(7530)
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Rated 17 Feb 2017
76
64th
Perhaps 80's action films were all self-aware? Beginning as a rather reflective police procedural, the action and logic soon jump into ludicrous speed in a manner that seems purposeful and reflexive: a comment on the American Banal, allowing regular joes an outlet to blow shit up. The use of sound - background sounds always commenting on the characters - seems to point this way. It's practically magical realism for working stiffs.
Rated 17 Feb 2017
Rated 13 Mar 2008
67
54th
The originator. This one laid down the blue-print for every Bruckheimer buddy flick to come. And as insulting as that sounds, somehow, this one works. Sure it meanders a little too much out the gate. Sure by now most of its characters, situations and sequences have become cliches. Sure there isn't much by way of plot. Sure Gibson's rocking the Mellet. It doesn't matter. It's just a fun and very likable flick. Released four months before I was born, it hasn't aged as gracefully as I have.
Rated 13 Mar 2008
Rated 11 Oct 2021
70
38th
The 1980s sensibility enormously dates this picture; largely with the post-Vietnam backstories, inner city fear of drugs, and conversations on sensitive men. Yet the buddy cop concept revolutionized police movies. My one complaint is that the suicidal tendencies of the Riggs character are sometimes a little too cartoony--especially when played after some nice quiet dramatic moments. Still, the action (mainly the torture scene) is geared towards teenage boys, and the movie holds up at that level.
Rated 11 Oct 2021
Rated 30 Jun 2012
79
64th
Totally unrealistic, most veterans are homeless not gainfully employed as cops and heroin dealers.
Rated 30 Jun 2012
Rated 03 Dec 2013
2
13th
Mel Gibson is great as a grunting, top-notch-abs, Vietnam Vet suicidal crazy person with 80s hair. Danny Glover's mustache does a satisfactory job, and Shane Black's writing makes no sense. LETHAL WEAPON is littered with very random explosions, gunfights, fisticuffs, and a drug smuggling plot that hardly matters. It's also the most random Christmas movie I've ever seen, as it's of no consequence to the plot, and was apparently released on March 6, 1987. lol???
Rated 03 Dec 2013
Rated 05 Jan 2023
75
64th
Going to be one of those guys who says, "Lethal Weapon is actually a Christmas movie!" I am now approaching an age where I think, actually, Murtaugh is young and spry.
Rated 05 Jan 2023
Rated 27 Jul 2012
79
65th
Remember the good ole days, when cops just shot people at random, probable cause was a pipe dream and "read him his rights" was usually followed by a shot to the leg or groin area. This movie makes it apparent that if you must use the 80s, please be responsible and don't operate any heavy machinery after taking the 80s. The mullet you save may be your own.
Rated 27 Jul 2012
Rated 19 May 2014
89
88th
Gary Busey's name is Mr. Joshua, and as it were, my name is Joshua. Now you know more about me than I would've preferred, but you still don't know about my stance on acronyms. Edit: That's a pretty obscure Busey joke. If you got it, award yourself ten points. 2nd Edit: Obligatory Tom Atkins mention.
Rated 19 May 2014
Rated 15 Mar 2008
85
86th
Tom Atkins mustache picture.
Rated 15 Mar 2008
Rated 08 Jul 2016
71
47th
The single-minded focus on exploring the protagonists' chemistry thankfully drowns out the pulpy plot, it's just fortunate that Richard Donner was able to cast a better salt and pepper duo than the one in his earlier film "Salt and Pepper".
Rated 08 Jul 2016
Rated 01 May 2019
80
77th
Danny Glover's been too old for this shit for 32 years, just give the man his pension
Rated 01 May 2019
Rated 08 Oct 2007
80
80th
Excellent script and impeccable actings of Mel Gibson and Danny Glover. One of the best movies of the type.
Rated 08 Oct 2007
Rated 20 Jul 2010
68
20th
Prime example of 80's "a ton of stuff blows up but it doesn't really seem to matter" action genre. Kind of fun but if the climax of an action movie has me thinking "come on, let's get this over with" rather than "hell yeah this is what I've been waiting for" then something is wrong.
Rated 20 Jul 2010
Rated 06 Feb 2007
70
63rd
This movie is the blueprint for the buddy/cop action comedy. Completely formulaic but perfectly enjoyable.
Rated 06 Feb 2007
Rated 01 Jul 2007
90
75th
One of the best action films ever made, largely because it's so based in character. The plot almost doesn't matter. It's all about Gibson and Glover and the screenplay.
Rated 01 Jul 2007
Rated 23 Sep 2010
70
79th
I gave it a lower rating than it deserves just out of resentment for all the cop buddy movies it spawned. I really am getting too old for this shit.
Rated 23 Sep 2010
Rated 03 Dec 2013
3
38th
The archetypal buddy cop movie, with cheesy one-liners, an over-the-top villain ("GODDAMN CHRISTMAS!"), a pair of leads with great chemistry, and some incredibly 1980s action. There's even an appearance by Al Leong, the king of 80s henchmen. A damn fun movie.
Rated 03 Dec 2013
Rated 14 Aug 2007
89
73rd
The quintessential buddy cop action comedy - and this one works because it treats its characters like real people.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
Rated 14 Aug 2007
82
90th
One of the best examples, if not the very best, of the buddy cop genre.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
Rated 01 Feb 2009
62
28th
Shane Black is given credit for creating the new era of action movies, but he did it much better with The Last Boyscout. What he did here, however, was succeed in creating Riggs. The renegade/suicidal cop may not have been entirely new, but this version has been copied over and over again. Riggs stands as the most entertaining of the bunch.
Rated 01 Feb 2009
Rated 28 Sep 2009
75
58th
The name Lethal Weapon seems a bit redundant. How many weapons are non-lethal? I guess making a movie about non-lethal weapons wouldn't be that interesting.
Rated 28 Sep 2009
Rated 14 Aug 2007
89
80th
Shane Black, Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Richard Donner and Gary "motherfucking" Busey make this a classic.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
Rated 18 Dec 2010
88
65th
GOOD: Good chemistry between two of them, action is good, brutal, feels very down to earth, real many times ; - BAD: Mel Gibson overdoes the crazy schick, music is overpowering jazz riffs, wanted more backstory on bad guys
Rated 18 Dec 2010
Rated 21 Apr 2007
73
28th
Glover is surprisingly... not good, but Gibson is psychotically entertaining. Good action, okay plot.
Rated 21 Apr 2007
Rated 12 Aug 2014
75
64th
A really fun and interesting buddy cop film. Cliched yes, but still well-acted and written by Gibson, Clover, and Donner. All-around really good however it sports weak villains, which brings this film down a little.
Rated 12 Aug 2014
Rated 26 Feb 2007
50
35th
Not bad.
Rated 26 Feb 2007
Rated 24 Mar 2018
60
54th
One of the few 1980s action-hero comedies that remain kind of fresh. It's ridiculous, but reasonably tense and fun. Gibson still has a bit of an Ozzie accent.
Rated 24 Mar 2018
Rated 14 Aug 2007
3
85th
First in the series is also the best. Donner is a great action director, Black is a great action writer, and Riggs and Murtaugh are great characters. If you want to watch a "buddy cop movie," you can't really do better than this and its sequel.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
Rated 26 Aug 2014
85
68th
A madly clever buddy cop blockbuster capitalizing on Gibson's Mad Max image as another widower cop with a death wish. Thanks largely to its star chemistry, Shane Black's acute script, Kamen's pulsing suspense score and its overall iron-fisted R-ratedness, it is full of powerhouse scenes that would be above this movie were its action and suspense sequences not coordinated with such rigor.
Rated 26 Aug 2014
Rated 04 May 2007
100
95th
Cineastes are not supposed to love buddy/cop films, especially not the genre's seminal movie. but this is a lot of fun
Rated 04 May 2007
Rated 30 Jan 2012
100
90th
Watching this for the first time 25 years after its release; I loved it. Like 80s fellows First Blood, Die Hard or Terminator, it's one of the greats of its genre. The acting is surprisingly solid, as is most of the writing - though some of the humor was incredibly flat. "Let's do what the one shepherd said to the other." "What's that?" "Get the flock out of here." I love puns as much as the next guy, but that was one odd joke. Admittedly a very minor flaw in this cop-movie classic.
Rated 30 Jan 2012
Rated 27 Mar 2007
60
65th
Not even a very good action flick but was able to create the long exploited chemistry between Gibson and Glover. And Gibson's single best acting in a scene, the suicide attempt is unforgettable.
Rated 27 Mar 2007
Rated 14 Aug 2007
80
63rd
The absurdly unrealistic police work found throughout Lethal Weapon does not prevent it from being a ridiculously entertaining action/buddy flick. Really good!
Rated 14 Aug 2007
Rated 05 Apr 2010
83
90th
Mistake - Handcuffs disappear before characters jump off a building.
Rated 05 Apr 2010
Rated 02 Sep 2019
67
38th
Assorted cliches delivered with naïve bluntness, "preconscious self-reflection" & lack of misguided ambition that somewhat compensate for the accompanying frustrations. Refreshing in the age of overblown spectacle & shallow postmodern irony. Appropriate levels of technical competence & performative gusto. Glover has a right mix of confidence & embarrassment while Gibson has no trouble portraying a psycho nutcase. Should've done more with character dynamics & plot but it's functionally cheesy.
Rated 02 Sep 2019
Rated 04 Mar 2007
87
72nd
A quintessential 80s action-comedy: blatant disregard for police procedure, guns, a cheesy ending, things blowing up, wisecrackin', martial arts, hell, everything you could want!
PLUS the end credits song is "our love could become a lethal weapon."
Rated 04 Mar 2007
Rated 18 Dec 2011
60
66th
A nicely-acted, well-scripted buddy cop movie. Not flawless, but certainly enjoyable. Do they still count as cliches if they hadn't been overused when the movie was made?
Rated 18 Dec 2011
Rated 04 Sep 2010
56
77th
#90s(e)#, liked, oldies(2) }*{ #80s#, story.
Rated 04 Sep 2010
Rated 18 Aug 2011
89
90th
High octane 80s cop flick! Moves at such an awesome pace and the characters of riggs and murtaugh are so well established that they easily deserved the sequels and knockoffs that sprouted up through the following decade. Donners direction is exciting and blacks script is lively and funny.
Rated 18 Aug 2011
Rated 09 Aug 2011
35
35th
Wtf did I just watch??
Rated 09 Aug 2011
Rated 14 Dec 2023
60
69th
Good eighties action comedy and the first buddy cop flick of note. Who can resist Riggs' blue eyes and strong thighs? Also, it's more Christmasy than "Die Hard".
Rated 14 Dec 2023
Rated 01 Sep 2007
70
58th
Good action flick. Gibson & Glover do well with their roles. Alas, the sequels were dumb & dumber, etc.
Rated 01 Sep 2007
Rated 17 Dec 2014
0
0th
Got halfway through and had to turn it off. Can't remember the last movie I sat down to watch but couldn't finish. Mullet Gibson was just too annoying. If he isn't twitching every muscle in his face because he's CRAZY he's being sarcastic, unfunny and totally unlikable.
Everything about this movie is a mix of dated and/or terrible. That dinner scene with the beatboxing and the daughter raping Hairy Mel with her eyes was the final straw for me. Maybe it was good in the eighties, but not today
Rated 17 Dec 2014
Rated 26 Sep 2017
16
76th
8/8
Rated 26 Sep 2017
Rated 22 Jul 2009
75
79th
One of the finest action movies of the 80s, and that decade had a lot of them! Made Gibson a superstar, and Busey a trademark bad guy.
Rated 22 Jul 2009
Rated 27 Jan 2010
84
60th
A very funny and effective cop film. Don't both with the sequels.
Rated 27 Jan 2010
Rated 14 Aug 2007
88
52nd
All of these movies totally rule cuase mel gibson plays a great mad man...and dan glover is a lethal weapon
Rated 14 Aug 2007
Rated 13 Mar 2010
68
45th
One of the most 80's things I remember seeing in a long while. Perhaps indicating that I am "too old for this shit". See what I did there? Oh.
Rated 13 Mar 2010
Rated 16 Nov 2023
8
70th
I hadn't watched this in a long time. the plot makes so little sense
Rated 16 Nov 2023
Rated 17 Mar 2008
50
18th
I know it theoretically qualifies as a classic, but seriously, it's pretty crap...
Rated 17 Mar 2008
Rated 15 Oct 2008
84
36th
Great action movie. The great chemistry between the leads make it all the more believable and entertaining.
Rated 15 Oct 2008
Rated 08 Aug 2023
75
38th
It's your classic buddy cop film with nice 80's flair. The plot? Flimsy. The motivations? Even more paper thin. The chemistry? A+. Worth almost just to turn your brain off, chuckle a little, and enjoy.
Rated 08 Aug 2023
Rated 14 Aug 2007
70
36th
Mediocrity. Nothing good, nothing bad. Simply put. Mdeiocrity.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
Rated 06 May 2013
88
56th
Ridiculous 80s action movie with two charming leads that have good chemistry and play off of each other well. Not a great movie, but it's pretty entertaining and well done.
Rated 06 May 2013
Rated 21 Jul 2009
2
39th
It's a fun 80s action movie, often silly but at times thrilling. Shut your brain off and enjoy it.
Rated 21 Jul 2009
Rated 19 Feb 2024
70
63rd
This great film has all the things that make a classic and a few more besides. Occasionally I felt my eyes graced by a pleasant composition. Mostly it's a film that knows when to hold back (never) and who the man is for the job. Mel and his crazy antics sustain the film perfectly. It's a wild ride.
Rated 19 Feb 2024
Rated 25 Sep 2008
55
41st
Mad Max for the LA set. And nowhere near as good
Rated 25 Sep 2008
Rated 14 Aug 2007
82
72nd
They work well together, great popcorn movie
Rated 14 Aug 2007
Rated 08 Nov 2011
77
75th
This is pretty much the definitive buddy/cop movie. Danny Glover is a by-the-books by-the-books cop, and Mel Gibson is a by-the-books loose cannon character. This is the kind of things buddy/cop movies have been emulating or spoofing since the 80s
Rated 08 Nov 2011
Rated 06 Feb 2011
90
61st
Now a classic, action movie that is a fun ride. It takes you for a ride all the way.
Rated 06 Feb 2011
Rated 21 Jul 2011
90
75th
The most successful installment in a phenomenally successful series, Lethal Weapon helped redefine action movies for the 1980s and 1990s.
Rated 21 Jul 2011
Rated 19 Dec 2008
56
32nd
Quite enjoyable with a good bunch of laughs, and some entertaining action.
Rated 19 Dec 2008
Rated 23 Jul 2007
8
82nd
Mel Gibson's hair lol
Rated 23 Jul 2007
Rated 18 Nov 2007
88
70th
Modern X-mas classic. I can't ever hear Jingle Bell Rock or buy a Christmas tree without thinking of this movie.
Rated 18 Nov 2007
Rated 23 Dec 2008
72
67th
I'm too old for this shit.
Rated 23 Dec 2008
Rated 17 Oct 2007
65
31st
mel G was HOT back in the day. Saw his bum I did.
Rated 17 Oct 2007
Rated 19 Apr 2014
76
69th
Nice mix of action and comedy with better performances than I expected from Glover, Gibson, and Busey. Good script by Shane Black.
Rated 19 Apr 2014
Rated 28 Jan 2017
90
84th
Lethal Weapon is one of the great 80's action movies. Two good guys versus a bunch of bad guys. The plot is simple but that is really all you need in a good action movie. This movie has good car chases, good fight scenes, and just enough one-liners to make it memorable. Danny Glover and Mel Gibson are great together. Gary Busey does a great job of being the asshole that the audience wants to see die a slow death, but I guess he's made a career out of that.
Rated 28 Jan 2017
Rated 10 Jul 2012
84
78th
The most successful installment in a phenomenally successful series, Lethal Weapon helped redefine action movies for the 1980s and 1990s.
Rated 10 Jul 2012
Rated 01 Jul 2020
53
56th
A definite product of the 80s, completely illogical, with suspect tone management. But damn, it has fun though. I can overlook some of the problems.
Rated 01 Jul 2020
Rated 11 Dec 2015
70
72nd
Cool 80s buddy action with some decent fights and chases but a rather lame plot.
Rated 11 Dec 2015
Rated 21 Mar 2010
95
93rd
Glorious Mel Gibson mullet and "When I was 19, I did a guy in Laos from a thousand yards out. It was a rifle shot in high wind. Maybe eight or even ten guys in the world could have made that shot. It's the only thing I was ever good at." He delivered this line in a way that made my balls bounce and asshole earthquake, such power!
Rated 21 Mar 2010
Rated 23 Dec 2013
84
63rd
The most successful installment in a phenomenally successful series, Lethal Weapon helped redefine action movies for the 1980s and 1990s.
Rated 23 Dec 2013
Rated 12 Jan 2016
100
89th
One of the best action films of all time. Fun, quotable, full of excellent action, but the most notable aspect of this film is its heart. "I'm too old for this shit" is amusing and became a pastiche, but its grounded in reality and really means something. And Gibson's character, which eventually became a parody of itself, is a rare treat for a film such as this. The scene in his caravan near the start of the film with the gun is one of the most emotional scenes in any action film ever.
Rated 12 Jan 2016
Rated 21 Dec 2011
69
28th
Glover and Gibson make a good team, they work well together. Most of this movie is good, however the ending of the movie is a let down. There are some good action scenes but the final one is dull.
Rated 21 Dec 2011
Rated 18 Jan 2014
80
89th
Lethal Weapon is an unequivocal success. It's really funny, incredibly entertaining, and has some inventive action scenes and great chemistry between its actors. It's at the top of the heap when it comes to buddy-cop movies, and is right near the top when it comes to action movies of the '80s. Danny Glover and Mel Gibson are great as the mismatched duo, Garey Busey is an intimidating villain, and they all get a lot to do in what feels like a short period of time. See Lethal Weapon.
Rated 18 Jan 2014
Rated 13 Apr 2020
85
29th
The action sometimes feels a little dated, but there's no denying that the gruff chemistry between Gibson and Glover makes the movie a classic. They both play such opposing personalities and the film is at its best when their witty exchanges play out naturally. Gary Busey is also a standout as a chilling killer who nearly is unstoppable and the film does boast some exciting climatic moments during the action-packed finale.
Rated 13 Apr 2020
Rated 03 Mar 2018
45
16th
A bottomless pool of silliness. It's so bad it can be really fun to watch. Looks like a parody of action films in general. It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia captured well it's formula in their short "Lethal Weapon 5". I really cannot tell which one is more ridiculous.
Rated 03 Mar 2018
Rated 02 Dec 2011
77
80th
This film was a blast to watch.The chemistry between Mel Gibson and Danny Glover was great and the non-stop banter between them was really cool.The action is pretty much kept to the last half hour where it explodes into one long sequence that was incredibly fun and exciting to watch.
Rated 02 Dec 2011
Rated 31 Jan 2020
60
44th
Arguably overrated, "Lethal Weapon" fluctuates between cool one-liners and painfully outdated dialogue, exciting action sequences and badly-directed ones, memorable scenes (Mel Gibson's terrific performance when his character almost commits suicide comes to mind) and totally unremarkable ones. It's influential, entertaining and obviously flawed.
Rated 31 Jan 2020
Rated 04 Mar 2007
95
85th
Another great action movie. Probably Mels best performance outside of Braveheart
Rated 04 Mar 2007
Rated 30 Apr 2007
3
45th
The chemistry of its two leads is pretty well off-the-charts, elevating an otherwise fairly generic and believability-stretching cop movie.
Rated 30 Apr 2007
Rated 23 Dec 2008
75
44th
Classic 80's action film.
Rated 23 Dec 2008
Rated 27 Aug 2016
90
64th
If you're looking for an over the top, action packed, 80s buddy cop movie then you've found your movie. It's not looking to be an accurate portrayal of police work, but what 80s action movie really tried to portray that. Gibson and Glover really make the movie with their interactions and ground the movie a bit. It's a classic buddy cop movie for a reason.
Rated 27 Aug 2016
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Directed by:
Richard DonnerScreenwriter:
Shane BlackCollections
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